Creamy Shellfish and Root Vegetable Stew Reviews

The port cities of Normandy-Caen among them-offer almost endless choices for fall menu planning. For this satisfying stew, the natural bounty of Normandy's waters, the rich cream of its pasturelands and its distinctive apple-based brandy called Calvados are combined with savory root vegetables from the local harvest. Start out with your favorite pâté and some cornichons, and serve a crusty baguette with the stew. Pour a white Burgundy or hard cider.

Truly excellent stew. I was faithful to the spirit of the recipe, but omitted the mussels, added some lemon zest to the cooking veggies, used seafood stock instead of clam juice, and added a bit more wine and Calvados than called for. I also added about 1.5 c water as the stew cooked down.

This stew is fantastic, but it's much more sophisticated than a stew. The flavors of the calvados and the white wine only make the shellfish flavors more intense. It's delicious! I have never ever found celery root, though; each time I make it, I add a little more of the potato and leeks, and the dish doesn't seem to suffer for it! This is a great dish for special occasions.